I think you’re doing alright now. But it sounds like most of the drama was this morning - England nearly losing Prior to a training accident. When will we learn that warming up before an Ashes match is just too damn risky?
Glen McGrath found out- as did Brad Haddin. 
Speaking of which it was a nice gesture of Strauss to allow the replacement of Haddin in the previous Test.
Would have been churlish to refuse it when the first ball hadn’t been bowled.
Meanwhile we’ve rediscovered the good old English batting collapse. :smack: England in dire straits.
That is just so sad.
Sorry- but always a bit of a risk with only five batsmen.
Did we have a bet on this game? (England loses its 6 th wicket).
I thought it had to be a mistake when I saw a headline saying England were bowled out for 102 in the first innings, but no, it’s true. Ouch.
The words “money for nothing” do come to mind, yes. :smack:
…and Australia lose their first wicket. Could there be a contest here after all?
Err, no. Not at 50/1 off 6.2 overs. They should be in the lead by tea at this rate 
BE fair - it was 10/1 when I posted. Just for that fragile second, hope sparked dimly. Now it’s been fairly well extinguished. Quote from the Guardian OBO - “Is it worth noting that Watson had a better score after two balls than eight England batsmen managed?”
I believe the plan here is to set the stage for a dramatic close to Flintoff’s Test career, where he fights his way back to fitness just in time for the must-win Fifth Test. :dubious:
As to five batsmen, it’s not like Trott could have held the fort by himself. Watson and Ponting are just rubbing in the spinelessness of England’s joke of an innings.
At close of play of the first day of the 4th test at Headingley, England is all out for 102, and Australia is 4 wickets for 196. Australia needs to win, and it looks like they are on course to do so.
Malcandra, it is difficult to see what impact one extra batsman would have made. However, I would only ever play 5 batsmen if there were a couple of very good ones there and realistically there is now not one in the English side.
If this was the Australian side of 5 years ago the game could be declared. However, I will wait a while.
A lead of just shy of 350 and England are batting again shortly after four pm on Day 2. I die as hard as any England fan, but it’s a mystery how they’re going to save this one. Stuart Broad the pick of England’s bowlers by some way, which just goes to show really.
Malcandra, I really thought Onions was the best of your bowlers. About two months ago I had a big opinion of Broad but since then I have been wavering and I really thought his 6 for was a bit undeserved. (I would add it is sad when you can remember the father of the cricketer playing for his country).
Anyway, yes, if there is fine weather it will be difficult for England and Wales.
I think it is safe to say that with England having 270 overs to bat, five wickets in hand and still being 262 runs from merely making the Aussies bat again, it would take nothing short of a meteor strike to prevent a result in this match. What a total, utter shambles.
As an indication of how shit England were, they had all their wickets intact at 6pm. By half past, the commentators were seriously asking whether Ponting could claim the extra half an hour to take the last five wickets and gain a result inside two days. Two!
This is going to cost Yorkshire CCC an absolute packet in refunds, incidentally.
And, according to Cricinfo, North shelled one off the last ball of the day, so it could have been six down. Dismal, I mean, I remember England losing eight in the last session against Pakistan some years back, but at least we could plead as excuse that Saqlain should have been no-balled for four of them, and we didn’t lose all eight at like one every five minutes. :smack: :rolleyes: :eek: :smack:
I s’pose at least it puts to rest any faint vestiges of hope we had that Bell and Harmison might eventually come good. Also (and this is a touch unfair) Bopara now averages 118.6 against the Windies, and (drumroll…) 12.3 against everyone else. Fingers crossed now Rob Key (and capybara) will take his rightful place at no. 3.
Christ, we need Pietersen back. I sincerely hope that after this execrable display, everyone will shut the fuck up complaining when he gets out after a big score. Look at the alternative.
England had some spectacular batting collapses against Waqar, Wasim and Co in the 90’s.
I am sort of glad I sat up until 1 am- with the required amount of beer- to watch the cricket. Just because I feel like shit now is unremarkable…
It was a pretty spectacular collapse when the wicket still was only second day and the Australian tail seemed to handle it all pretty comfortably.
Yes, both Gooch and Atherton as captains had to cope with the problem that if either of them got out, the rest of the side would follow quickly.
Now the stage is set for a replay of Headingley 1981 starring Matt Prior as Ian Botham, Anderson and Broad as Dilley and Old, and Steve Harmison as Bob Willis. I’ll just ring up the bookie and get a hundred down at 500-1 like I should have then.